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Gutsy call lifts Eastern over Fern Creek, 15-14

By Bob White, Special to The Courier-Journal
12:45 a.m. EDT October 26, 2013

Eastern coach Stephen Ruckman shocked his own players when he called for a two-point conversion play, but it worked and the Eagles upset Fern Creek 15-14 in a Class 6-A, District Five football thriller Friday night at Eastern, spoiling the Tigers’ hopes of clinching their first district title since 1995.

Eastern (3-5) trailed 14-7 and had the ball at midfield when it started its winning drive. Antonio McClain’s 1-yard touchdown run pulled the Eagles within 14-13 with 14.4 seconds left. Everybody thought Eastern would kick the extra point, tie the game and force an overtime.

Everybody but Ruckman, that is.

He called for quarterback Jacob Biller, the holder on extra-point kicks, to run for two points. Kicker Zach Kozma never touched the ball. Biller caught the snap, stood up and powered his way across the goal.

“At this point of the season, with a co-championship on the line, we had to go for it,’’ Ruckman said. “I was going to be really smart or really stupid.’’

“I didn’t think we would go for it at first,’’ Biller said. “I was shocked, but it was a good call. No one was expecting it. Our defense played well the whole game. Our offense stepped it up at the end.’’

A win would have given Fern Creek a 3-0 district record and the title. Now, Eastern, Ballard and Fern Creek are tied at 2-1 in district play. A tie-breaking system will be used to break the deadlock.

Biller also ended Fern Creek’s slim chances of pulling out a win when he intercepted a pass by the Tigers’ Marti White on the final play of the game.

Fern Creek, 5-4 overall, was penalized 15 yards before the start of the game because of its late arrival after a team bus broke down. The first 12 Fern Creek players finally reached the field with 5:40 remaining before the opening kickoff. The last 17 Tigers ran on the field just as the game was supposed to start.

Fern Creek jumped ahead 14-0 on a 1-yard run by Chris Sharp, who gained 188 yards on 31 carries, and a 69-yard run by Sharp. Eastern (4-4 overall) got its passing game going in the second half. Biller threw a 5-yard TD pass to wide receiver Luke Moses, who caught the ball in the end zone despite a defender on him with 4:03 left in the game.

On the winning drive, Biller passed 18 yards to Bronson Reed and 16 yards to Reed to put the Eagles on the Fern Creek 16. On fourth down from the 15, Biller threw an incomplete pass, but Fern Creek was guilty of defensive holding. After a 5-yard penalty on the Tigers, Biller ran 8 yards to the 2. McClain scored two plays later.

Moses caught seven passes for 66 yards and Kozma three for 37 yards. McClain led Eagle runners with 57 yards on 17 carries. Biller was 13 for 25 passing for 108 yards, with two interceptions.

“These kids are awesome,’’ Ruckman said. “This shows the character they have. They performed admirably.”